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Comment by austinc | Hacker News Reader

PCR requires short (typically synthesized) DNA primers to initiate replication. That is, you must know the DNA sequences at the beginning and end of the region you want to amplify. Ideally you would know the entire sequence so you can synthesize primers that have one and only one binding site.

Amplifying DNA is useful/necessary for all sorts of biological procedures. High concentrations of DNA are needed for efficiently transfecting microbes, for example.

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Fortunately, primers are relatively cheap, typically under $0.30/base, so for two 20bp primers, you may end up paying as much for shipping as for the synthesis itself.

These days, it's also pretty rare that you won't know the complete genome of the species you're working with, and there are free web tools that can help you design unique primers.

  there are free web tools that can help you design unique primers.

True, but if you are going to your own PCR, you might as well do your own primer design. It's practically the "hello, world!" of bioinformatics, not to mention that a primer design server might not be able to help you if you're trying to do something fancy.

Wow, you all know a surprising amount about PCR! Are any of you regular PCR users?

Tito OpenPCR

Hey Tito, congrats on shipping! This is Patrick from Baltimore-- we talked for a bit at iGEM and the FBI DIY-BIO thing last year.

In the dry lab, I'm really more of a regular PCR consumer than a regular PCR user, but yeah, my attitude towards PCR is more or less my attitude towards snakes: try to keep a respectful distance :-)

Are there any good guides or tutorials for DIY bioinformatics? Targeted for people who are interested to learn about bioinformatics in practice in addition to theory.

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